Monstrum
Kat Ross
(Fourth Talisman, #3)
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: June 15th 2018
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

In the third volume of the Fourth Talisman series, the hunt is on for the three daevas whose powers saved the world once before….
On the White Sea, realm of smashers and sea monsters, a ship is carrying Nazafareen and Darius to the Isles of the Marakai, where the wise woman Sakhet-ra-katme has guarded the secret of the talismans for centuries. But another is searching too, a daeva born in the brutal prison of the Kiln, who plans to use the talismans to free the Vatras and their mad king. When their paths collide at the emperor’s lavish palace in Tjanjin, Nazafareen and Darius face their deadliest and most cunning foe yet.
In the mountain fastness of Val Moraine, the Pythia’s minions are on the scent of another talisman, this one from the Danai clan. Trapped behind a thick wall of ice, everyone’s going slightly mad—the perfect cauldron of suspicion and betrayal for Thena, who sees a chance to redeem her failure and bring the talisman back to Delphi. Then she’ll be free to indulge her twisted obsession with Darius—and make him pay.
And in Samarqand, Javid is drawn into the treacherous currents of a royal succession. When the old king dies and his son takes the throne, the depths of the prince’s depravity become clear. A journey north reveals the source of the spell dust he’s addicted to—and leaves Javid with an impossible choice.

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My Review 

Monstrum is the third book in the Fourth Talisman series, and it gets even more intense.I honestly don't know if I can find the words to really explain how awesome this book was. There are so many things going on between the characters, and while it's easy to keep track of who is doing what, it left me strangely anxious and, at times, frustrated. Frustrated mostly because I now have to wait for book four in the series to see how everything is going to play out. 

I don't want to spoil any of the plot, but just know that there are some really exciting adventures awaiting you between the pages. Nazafareen and Darius have teamed up with the Marakai to try and learn more about the talismans; Javid finds himself tangled up in some serious craziness, and over in Val Moraine, there's...well, there's a lot of stuff going on with Victor, Culach, Gerda, and the new arrivals. That's all I'm going to say. You'll have to dive in to find out what, exactly, I'm hinting at.

Monstrum definitely keeps things into high gear, and I found myself switching between a variety of emotions. It definitely is a whirlwind of a story, and it will leave you breathless and eager for more. At least it did for me.

The plot doesn't drag at all, the characters are all really well-written and seem to have even more development in terms of how they react to things to choose to do things, and the words bring to life the world the characters live in, making it easy to picture the stormy seas, the blazing hot sun, and the cold, snowy mountains. 

I really, really liked Monstrum, and I am so excited for the next book. I can't wait! I highly recommend this series.

4.5 stars from me.

Review for Solis

I also read Solis for this tour, as I hadn't had a chance to read it earlier, so this is my review for the second book in the series.

Solis has Nazafareen settling in with the Maedra -- women who worship the god Dionysius. They're big fans of wine, but they're also strong, skilled, intelligent women who can hold their own in a fight. The women and Nazafareen are planning to free Herodotus, Kallisto's husband, and Javid, the young man who helped Nazafareen in book one. They also want to try and take down the evil Pythia if at all possible. It won't be easy, but they're determined to do whatever it takes.

 On the other side of the world, Victor is now trying to keep hold over Val Moraine. He enters an uneasy alliance with the blind Culach, but he knows one wrong move could send things spiraling out of control. He's balanced on a thin wire, and if he's not careful, it will all come crashing down upon his head.

Solis is intense at times, with some of the scenes bordering on sadistic (thanks for being a complete psycho, Pythia!), and it doesn't hold back. I found myself hating so many characters in this story because of how awful they are. And, of course, I was rooting for Nazafareen and the other women, because why wouldn't you? They're the good guys here, and you want to see them win. Alas, though, the Pythia and her minions do not make it easy.

I didn't quite care as much about what was going on in Val Moraine, but I did find myself torn when it came to Gerda and Culach. Mainly Gerda. She's a strange bird. 

Overall, I enjoyed Solis, and it made me curious to read Monstrum and see where the story was going to go. This series is one of my new favorites this year, and I'm so glad I took a chance on it.

I give Solis four stars. 

Author Bio:
Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She’s the author of the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day, the Fourth Element fantasy trilogy (The Midnight Sea, Blood of the Prophet, Queen of Chaos), and a new gaslamp mystery series that opens with The Daemoniac and continues with The Thirteenth Gate. She loves myths, monsters and doomsday scenarios. For more information about Kat’s books, come visit her at katrossbooks.com.

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